2019 GMC Acadia vs 2019 Toyota RAV4

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 presented a bold and aggressive design, drawing inspiration from the Toyota Tacoma pickup. Its chunky exterior and sharp edges gave it a futuristic and robust appearance, with taillights reminiscent of Toyota's luxury brand, Lexus. The RAV4's design included a character line on the rear C-pillar, which was a common trait among new vehicles, though not always visually appealing. The RAV4 offered a variety of color options, including seven two-tone schemes with contrasting roofs, which added to its unique styling. Inside, the RAV4's cabin was simple and elegant, featuring a floating touchscreen and a well-organized control pod. The RAV4 came in several trims, from the base LE to the upscale Limited, each offering a range of features and options to suit different preferences.

The 2019 GMC Acadia was a handsome SUV with a shorter wheelbase that provided an athletic stance and an upscale appearance, thanks to its upright grille. While not marketed as a luxury SUV, it was as nice as, if not nicer than, the more expensive Buick Envision. The Acadia offered a broader appeal, feeling closer in size to compact competitors like the Nissan Rogue. It came in several trims, from the base SL to the luxurious Denali, each offering a range of features. The SLT-1 AWD trim, with the Black Edition appearance package, gave the Acadia a more menacing look, aligning with current buyer tastes. The Acadia's trims offered various features, with the SLT-1 making much of the content standard, while the Denali trim added luxury features and a unique grille design.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 was equipped with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine across all trims, producing 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. This power was delivered through an 8-speed automatic transmission to either the front wheels or available all-wheel drive (AWD). The RAV4 offered two AWD options: a base setup and a more advanced torque-vectoring AWD available in the Adventure and Limited trims. The torque-vectoring AWD could distribute power to the wheels that needed it in real-time, enhancing off-road capability. The RAV4's engine provided decent highway acceleration but lacked low-end power, making it feel sluggish in stop-and-go traffic. The ride quality was generally good, though the steering felt twitchy, and there was noticeable body roll. The RAV4's fuel economy was impressive, with the AWD model achieving 27 mpg city and 34 mpg highway.

The 2019 GMC Acadia offered two engine options: a base inline 4-cylinder and a more powerful 3.6-liter V6. The V6, producing 310 horsepower, was available in higher trims and provided excellent acceleration. Power was sent through a 6-speed automatic transmission to either the front wheels or available AWD. The AWD system featured GMC's Active Twin Clutch, allowing drivers to switch between FWD, AWD, Sport mode, and All-Terrain mode. The V6 Acadia could tow up to 4,000 pounds when properly equipped. The Acadia's driving experience was well-balanced, offering a good mix of power and comfort for daily commuting. The base 4-cylinder engine with FWD returned 21 mpg city and 26 highway, while the V6 AWD model achieved 17 mpg city and 25 highway.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4's cabin was designed for practicality and style, offering spacious seating and ample cargo space. The center stack featured a clean layout with climate controls, a large tray for small items, and drive-mode controls. The RAV4 provided 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, expanding to 69.8 cubic feet with the seats folded. The front row offered plenty of storage options, including deep trays and bins. The RAV4's interior was functional, with thoughtful features like a fold-out rear armrest with cupholders.

The 2019 GMC Acadia provided a solid amount of space for the driver and front passenger, with deep trays and bins for small items. The SL, SLE-1, and SLE-2 trims featured 7-passenger seating, while the SLT-1 AWD trim offered captain's chairs, reducing seating capacity to 6. The second-row seats were comfortable and provided decent head- and legroom, but the third row was best suited for children. The Acadia offered 12.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, expanding to 41.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and up to 79 cubic feet with both rows down. The Acadia's cargo space was small for a midsize SUV, but rubberized floor mats made it practical for outdoor activities.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4's LE trim came with a 7-inch touchscreen running Toyota's Entune 3 infotainment system, featuring Apple CarPlay but not Android Auto. The XLE trim added more USB ports, while the Adventure trim offered an upgraded panoramic reversing camera and a larger 8-inch screen. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with hard dials for major functions and a simple layout. The addition of Apple CarPlay was a significant update for 2019, though Android Auto was still unavailable.

The 2019 GMC Acadia's base SL trim featured a 7-inch touchscreen with GMC's IntelliLink infotainment system, offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The SLT-1 trim upgraded to an 8-inch screen, and the Denali trim added standard navigation. The SLT-1 and SLT-2 trims included a 4.2-inch color information display within the gauge cluster, while the Denali trim offered an 8-inch display, creating a semi-digital instrument panel. The Acadia also offered a color head-up display for additional information.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 came standard with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including front- and side-impact airbags, a reversing camera, traction control, and a tire-pressure monitoring system. Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 was also standard, offering forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, automatic high-beams, and dynamic radar cruise control. Additional features included traffic-sign detection and Lane-Tracing Assist.

The 2019 GMC Acadia included standard front- and side-impact airbags, a reversing camera, and traction control. The Driver Alert Package 1, standard on the SLT-1 and optional on the SLE-2, added blind-spot warning, lane-change alert, and rear park assist. The SLT-2 trim included the Driver Alert Package 2, offering low-speed forward automatic braking, lane-departure warning, pedestrian detection, forward-collision alert, and adaptive headlights and high beams. These features were available as options, unlike the RAV4's standard offerings.